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6 Ways To Relieve "Text Neck"

Carpel tunnel is so five years ago. "Text Neck" is the new tech-induced body ailment.According to Florida chiropractor Dean L. Fishman, D.C., who coined the phrase and founded a corresponding research institute, "Text Neck is an overuse syndrome or a...

Carpel tunnel is so five years ago. "Text Neck" is the new tech-induced body ailment.

According to Florida chiropractor Dean L. Fishman, D.C., who coined the phrase and founded a corresponding research institute, "Text Neck is an overuse syndrome or a repetitive stress injury, where you have your head hung forward and down looking at your mobile device for extended periods of time," he explains. "Don't get me wrong: I love technology, but this is a global epidemic not just from texting, but from using all sorts of wireless media."

The trouble is that, because we text and hover over wireless devices so frequently these days, the repetitive action -- which is not healthy for the body -- is almost constant. "You might remember from Jerry Maguire that the human head ways approximately 10 lbs. Well, for every one inch of forward head posture away from neutral (which is center of ears over shoulders), the weight of your head increases by 100%," explains Dr. Fishman. In other words, the more you crane your neck, the more weight it has to carry.

The Symptoms:

The disorder is associated with chronic headaches and shoulder/neck pain, but the doctor has also started to see increased curvature in the spine -- especially in kids. Outside medical research has also uncovered evidence of related early onset arthritis and even decrease lung capacity.

As students, we always hung our heads to peruse books or take tests, but then we'd get up and go about our days. "Now, kids close their books and then get back into that posture texting, browsing and emailing," explains Fishman. So, the position is nonstop. The same goes for adults in meetings, at work and even stopped at red lights in traffic. (It's true of me right now, writing this post -- oops!)

According to The Wireless Association, texting statistics have increased astronomically. In June 2006 in the USA, there were 12.5 billion texts sent monthly. By June 2011, that number grew to 196.9 billion. Clearly, this problem isn't going anywhere.

The Study:

Two control groups practiced a set of four specific exercises and then also received chiropractic adjustment. One group was asked to change their viewing angle of the phone as well, so they could comfortably see it, while holding it at a 90 to 70 degree angle from the floor. "Both groups improved, but the group that changed the angle did much better," explains Dr. Fishman. "That was apparently the most important element."

The Solution:

As the doctor aptly reminds us about any health problem: "If you do nothing, you will get worse." So, it's important to implement the below exercises to help improve your posture, strengthen your neck and create better habits for everyday life."

There's an "App" For That:Dr. Fishman actually created a "Text Neck" app for the Android, which offers "immediate real time feedback" about whether your standing in the correct posture, indicated by a green or red light. There's also an optional vibration or beep reminder, when you lapse into bad habits. Best of all, according to the doctor, it actually tracks your slouching/standing patterns and offers an average score. So, you or your doctor can look back at the data and make sure your score doesn't drop below 85% -- the standard.

Mountain Pose:Exercises like yoga, pilates and Bar Method are focused heavily on posture. Try paying close attention to how you're standing, during these practices and you may improve your posture on your own.

Dr. Fishman's Four Exercises:Based on his background in chiropractics and exercise physiology, the doctor has created four exercises that -- if done regularly -- should help relieve some symptoms of Text Neck, keeping your neck as close to neutral as possible. "They look simple, but they're challenging," says the expert. "The key component is pulling the shoulder blades back and down and holding them that way while doing the exercises."

Adds the doctor, "The key is strengthening and changing the way you're viewing your device. Chiropractic adjustments seem to make a big difference, too. We have to educate the generation behind us because, if they learn to do it early, it will become habit. I have a 3-year-old patient using an iTouch to play games constantly, whose mother brought her in for headaches and neck pain. We're starting the education now."

More about Text Neck or to ask the expert questions: textneck@gmail.com.